Whether he’s rushing a passer, tackling a running back or playing an instrument, rhythm and coordination are important for senior defensive end Ryan Murphy of the Muhlenberg football team.

Murphy didn’t start playing for a football team until high school but he got his first instrument, a bass guitar, when he was in fourth grade. Prior to that, he had played in his school band.

“Ever since I was a kid, my dad was always listening to music,” said Murphy. “My uncle also played guitar and bass. When I was little, I saw him play bass in his band and it seemed like a lot of fun so, from then on, I really wanted to do it.

“Since I started on bass, that’s always what I’ll revert back to as my favorite,” explained Murphy, who also plays guitar and would like to learn how to play other instruments as soon as he has the time. “No matter what, I will always refer to myself as a bassist.”

Murphy, who says he always has his headphones on (except for on the football field of course) uses music as a stress reliever and a respite from life’s challenges.

Although the double major in music and business administration came into Muhlenberg undeclared, he knew he wanted music to play a role in his higher education, whether it was through involvement in musical groups or by studying it.

“I took an introduction to music class in the spring of my freshman year as a general academic requirement,” stated Murphy. “It reminded me how much I love music, so I decided to enroll in more music classes and see where they took me.

“Jazz improv ensemble may have been my favorite,” added Murphy, who has taken classes ranging from bass and guitar performance to multiple levels of music theory. “I finally got a chance to get together with a group of some really talented musicians and play for fun.”

He finds musical inspiration in a number of different styles from hard rock to hip-hop to jazz, but his favorite style to play is funk. He says his classes at Muhlenberg are what really opened his eyes to classical music and artists such as Beethoven and Mozart.

“My classes really showed me how intricate their music was and how ahead of their time they were. I feel like, as a music major, I should be able to write something like that at some point in my life,” he laughed.

He says the writing side of music is definitely something he would like to explore. But don’t expect “Murphy’s Musical Masterpiece” to be on sale anytime soon.

While he currently has all the necessary musical knowledge from his theory classes, as a student-athlete, he lacks the free time required to write a piece of music.

And as for his future plans, he hopes to combine aspects of each of his two majors.

“Well, if I’m not touring the world in a famous band,” he quipped, “I would like to have my own music shop where I can teach lessons and sell and rent instruments. But that is a little further down the road.”